Emergency vehicular window-breaking device

Abstract

The emergency vehicular window-breaking device includes a striker mechanism and a trigger. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device may be operable to shatter a window of a vehicle that has become at least partially submerged so that an occupant of the vehicle may escape. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device may be located within the vehicle where the striker mechanism may strike the window and the trigger may be exposed to rising water as the vehicle sinks. The striker mechanism may shatter the window glass after activation by the trigger. The trigger may activate the striker mechanism responsive to being submerged.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An emergency vehicular window-breaking device comprising:
 a striker mechanism and a trigger; 
 wherein the emergency vehicular window-breaking device is operable to shatter a window of a vehicle that has become at least partially submerged; 
 wherein the emergency vehicular window-breaking device is located within the vehicle where the striker mechanism strikes the window and the trigger is exposed to rising water as the vehicle sinks; 
 wherein the striker mechanism shatters a window glass after activation by the trigger; 
 wherein the trigger activates the striker mechanism responsive to being submerged; 
 wherein the striker mechanism comprises a striker, a striker mounting bracket, and a compression spring; 
 wherein the striker mounting bracket holds the striker away from the window glass and under tension from the compression spring; 
 wherein the compression spring forces the striker to impact the window glass after the striker is activated by the trigger; 
 wherein the striker is an L-shaped armature comprising a punch leg and a trigger leg; 
 wherein the punch leg comprises a tip and is oriented to be perpendicular to the window glass; 
 wherein the tip is sharpened to a point such that the tip shatters the window glass when the tip impacts the window glass. 
 
     
     
       2. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 1 
 wherein the punch leg comprises a retaining pin that holds the striker away from the window glass due to interference with a retention block located on the striker mounting bracket. 
 
     
     
       3. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 2 
 wherein the trigger leg is perpendicular to the punch leg; 
 wherein lifting the distal end of the trigger leg rotates the punch leg such that the retaining pin disengages from the retention block to permit movement of the striker towards the window glass. 
 
     
     
       4. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 3 
 wherein the striker mounting bracket comprises a window plate, a spring plate, and a center plate; 
 wherein the striker mounting bracket is coupled to the vehicle; 
 wherein the striker mounting bracket positions the striker to impact the window glass; 
 wherein the striker mounting bracket positions the striker relative to the trigger such that the trigger activates the striker responsive to the rising water. 
 
     
     
       5. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 4 
 wherein the window plate is oriented to be parallel to the window glass and adjacent to the window glass; 
 wherein the window plate comprises a first striker aperture; 
 wherein responsive to being activated, the striker impacts the window glass by moving towards the window glass through the first striker aperture. 
 
     
     
       6. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 5 
 wherein the spring plate is parallel to the window plate and is more distant from the window glass than the window plate. 
 
     
     
       7. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 6 
 wherein the spring plate comprises a second striker aperture; 
 wherein the punch leg passes through the second striker aperture in order to support the striker. 
 
     
     
       8. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 7 
 wherein the center plate is perpendicular to both the window plate and the spring plate; 
 wherein the center plate couples the window plate to the spring plate to form the window plate, the spring plate, and the center plate into a U-shaped armature. 
 
     
     
       9. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 8 
 wherein the center plate comprises the retention block; 
 wherein the retention block projects from the center of the center plate into the center of the U-shaped armature formed by the window plate, the spring plate, and the center plate. 
 
     
     
       10. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 9 
 wherein the retention block prevents the striker from moving towards the window glass when the trigger is rotated to a non-triggered position where the retaining pin aligns with the retention block such that the retaining pin contacts the retention block; 
 wherein the striker permits the striker to move towards the window glass when the trigger is rotated to a triggered position where the alignment of the retaining pin with the retention block is disrupted. 
 
     
     
       11. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 10 
 wherein the compression spring is located between the spring plate and the retaining pin; 
 wherein the compression spring provides tension to move the striker when the striker is in the non-triggered position. 
 
     
     
       12. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 11 
 wherein the compression spring forces the striker to impact the window glass when the striker is rotated to the triggered position where that interference between the retaining pin and the retention block is eliminated. 
 
     
     
       13. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 12 
 wherein the trigger is operable to sense the rising water and to activate the striker mechanism in order to shatter the window glass; 
 wherein the trigger comprises a guide tube, a float, and a sensor mounting bracket. 
 
     
     
       14. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 13 
 wherein the guide tube is a hollow vertical tube that is positioned below the distal end of the trigger leg; 
 wherein the float is a buoyant cylinder comprising an outside diameter that is smaller than the inside diameter of the guide tube. 
 
     
     
       15. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 14 
 wherein the float is located inside of the guide tube such that the float moves up within the guide tube responsive to the rising water; 
 wherein the float presses up against the trigger leg and rotates the striker from the non-triggered position to the triggered position, thus activating the striker. 
 
     
     
       16. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 15 
 wherein the guide tube comprises a float stop on the inside bottom of the guide tube; 
 wherein the float stop is a ridge around the guide tube to reduce the inside diameter of the guide tube such that the float is prevented from passing through the guide tube below the float stop; 
 wherein the float stop is operable to limit the downward travel of the float. 
 
     
     
       17. The emergency vehicular window-breaking device according to  claim 16 
 wherein the sensor mounting bracket is operable to couple the guide tube to the vehicle such that the guide tube is vertically aligned under the distal end of the trigger leg of the trigger.